THE  GETTY  CENTER  LIBRARY 


Silk 


Its  Origin 
and  Culture. 


Illustrated. 

T5 

IGSO 

558 

'<35>S 

Florence,  Mass. 

Nonotuck  Silk  Company. 


1895. 


Copyrighted,  1895, 

By  Nonotuck  Silk  Company. 


All  rights  reserved. 


Press  of  Springfield  Printing  and  Binding  Company,  Springfield,  Mass. 


Publisher’s  Note. 


A  growing  demand  from  teachers  and  others 
for  a  reliable  and  concise  book  of  information 
on  silk  culture  has  prompted  the  preparation 
of  this  little  pamphlet. 

It  is  distinctly  an  educational  work,  embrac¬ 
ing  as  it  does  the  most  interesting  facts  gathered 
from  the  experience  of  twenty-four  years,  in 
which  this  company  has  made  a  scientific  and 
practical  study  of  rearing  this  wonderful  insect. 

The  fine  half-tone  engravings  illustrating  this 
book  were  made  from  photographs  of  the  Cor- 
ticelli  Silkworms  taken  from  life.  We  believe 
them  to  be  the  first  American  photographs  and 
the  most  truthful  reproductions  of  silkworm  life 
in  existence. 


Contents . 


PAGE 

The  Discovery  and  Introduction  of  Siek,  .  .  5 

The  Silkworm,  . 15 

Reefing  the  Siek  from  the  Cocoons,  ....  35 

How  Siek  is  Manufactured, . 41 


The  Discovery  and 
Introduction  of  Silk. 


The  history  of  silk  starts  with  Hoang-Ti,  the 
third  Emperor  of  China,  who  charged  his  wife 
and  queen,  Si-Eing-Chi,  to  examine  the  silk¬ 
worms  and  test  the  practicability  of  using  the 
thread  from  the  cocoons.  In  her  zeal  she  col¬ 
lected  large  numbers  of  the  worms,  fed  them 
herself,  and  discovered  how  to  reel  the  silk  and 
to  make  it  into  garments.  This  was  about  1700 
B.  C.,  and  for  her  discovery  she  was  deified,  so 
the  Chinese  records  say,  and  ever  since  has  been 
known  as  the  “Goddess  of  Silkworms.” 

The  wild  silkworms  or  allied  species  were 
found  in  Southern  or  Eastern  Asia,  inhabiting 
the  jungles  of  India,  Pegu,  Siam,  and  Cochin 
China  ;  but  the  cocoons  were  used  only  for  card¬ 
ing  and  spinning,  very  much  as  spun  silk  is  now 
produced.  Meanwhile  the  Chinese  kept  their 
method  of  obtaining  the  silk  a  profound  secret 


6 


Silk :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 


for  nearly  two  thousand  years.  They  gave  the 
silk  to  the  Persians,  who  for  one  thousand  years, 
without  knowing  how  or  from  what  it  was  made, 
carried  it  to  the  Western  Nations. 

Aristotle  was  the  first  European  to  learn  the 
true  origin  of  the  wrought  silk  brought  to  him 
from  Persia  on  the  return  from  that  country  of 
Alexander’s  victorious  army.  He  described  the 
silkworm  as  a  “horned  insect,  passing  through 
several  transformations,  which  produced  ‘  bom- 
bykia,’  ”  as  he  called  the  silk.  However,  for  five 
hundred  years  after  this  time  the  common  theory 
of  the  origin  of  silk,  among  the  Greeks  and  Ro¬ 
mans,  was  quite  different,  since  they  had  con¬ 
founded  the  production  of  silk  with  that  of 
cotton. 

In  Aristotle’s  time  Pamphile  and  her  associates 
in  the  Island  of  Cos  (the  modern  Zea  in  the 
Aegean  Sea)  had  imported  raw  silk  from  Persia, 
and  unraveling  it  had  woven  a  silken  gauze, 
which  from  its  transparency  was  called  “woven 
wind.”  Soon  the  Roman  ladies  followed  her 
example,  substituting  for  silk  fine  threads  of 
linen  or  cotton  for  the  weft  or  filling,  and  before 


From  Fhotograpk ,  Copyrighted,  lisqj,  by  N.  S.  Co. 


GATHERING  MULBERRY  LEAVES 


8  Silk  :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 

long  it  became  in  great  demand.  The  Roman 
emperors  arrayed  themselves  in  costly  silken 
garments,  and  soon  laws  were  passed  restricting 
its  use  to  the  nobility  and  to  women.  The 
Emperor  Anrelian  is  said  to  have  refused  his 
empress  a  silken  robe  on  the  ground  of  its  great 
costliness.  The  extravagant  Heliogabalus  wore 
garments  made  wholly  of  silk,  though  they  were 
valued  at  more  than  their  weight  in  gold. 

In  the  sixth  century  A.  D. ,  all  the  raw  silk 
was  still  being  imported  from  China,  by  way  of 
Persia,  when  the  Emperor  Justinian,  having 
engaged  in  war  with  Persia,  found  his  supply  of 
raw  silk  cut  off  and  the  manufacturers  in  great 
distress.  His  foolish  legislation  did  not  help  the 
situation,  and  a  crisis  was  averted  onlv  by  two 
Nestorian  monks,  who  came  from  China  with 
seed  of  the  mulberry  tree  and  the  Chinese  method 
of  rearing  the  worms.  No  one,  on  pain  of  death, 
was  allowed  to  export  the  silkworm  eggs  from 
China,  but  Justinian  bribed  the  monks  to  return 
to  that  country,  and  in  555  they  came  back 
bringing  with  them  a  quantity  of  silkworm  eggs 
concealed  in  the  hollow  of  their  pilgrim’s  staves. 


Prom  Photograph ,  Copyrighted ,  i8qj,  by  N .  S.  Co . 

BRANCH  OF  THE  MULBERRY  TREE,  SHOWING  BERRIES. 


io  Silk  :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 

From  this  small  beginning  the  industry  spread 
rapidly  over  Greece  and  Syria,  into  Spain  in 
71 1,  into  Sicily  and  Naples  in  the  twelfth  cen¬ 
tury,  reaching  Italy  in  the  sixteenth,  and  France 
in  the  seventeenth  century.  Naturally  manu¬ 
facturing  followed  raw  silk  production,  but  for 
centnries  the  finest  and  richest  silks  were  woven 
only  for  the  church,  the  nobility,  and  the  most 
wealthy  knights ;  Persia,  China,  and  the  coun¬ 
tries  to  the  far  East  producing  magnificent  hand 
embroidered  specimens,  the  results  of  years  of 
patient  labor. 

Silk  culture  in  America  started  in  1622,  when 
James  I.  sent  silkworm  eggs,  mulberry  trees, 
and  printed  instructions  to  Virginia,  but  the 
attempt  was  not  successful,  and  the  planters 
showed  their  taste  by  returning  to  the  growing 
of  tobacco.  In  1735  eight  pounds  of  .silk  were 
exported  from  Georgia,  and  about  1750  a  filature 
— an  establishment  for  reeling  silk — was  built  at 
Savannah,  and  the  exports  increased  from  one 
hundred  pounds  of  reeled  silk  in  1755,  to  seven 
hundred  pounds  in  1758,  and  over  ten  thousand 
pounds  (seventy-five  thousand  dollars  worth)  in 


From  Photograph,  Copyrighted ,  /8<)j,  by  N.  S.  Co.  Actual  Size. 


CORTICELEI  SILKWORMS,  SIX  AND  TEN  DAYS  OLD. 


12 


Silk :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 


1759.  From  that  time  the  industry  declined, 
although  during  the  Revolutionary  war  the  raw 
material  was  made  into  sewing  silk  and  sold  at 
home. 

Connecticut  began  to  rear  silkworms  in  1760, 
and  for  eighty-four  years  this  state  led  all  others 
in  the  amount  of  silk  produced.  Soon  after  1769 
Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  New  York,  Rhode 
Island,  and  Massachusetts  became  interested  in 
the  industry,  but  during  the  Revolution  it  was 
given  up,  and  was  not  revived  until  1826,  when 
a  most  determined  effort  was  made  to  place  silk 
growing  on  a  paying  basis.  For  ten  years  all 
went  well  ;  several  states  offered  premiums  and 
bounties,  silk  societies  were  formed,  and  new 
machinery  was  invented  and  put  into  operation. 
But  soon  a  disturbing  element  was  introduced; 
a  great  effort  was  made  to  supplant  the  white 
mulberry  ( Morns  alba),  on  the  leaves  of  which 
the  worms  had  been  fed,  by  the  so-called  Chinese 
mulberry,  the  Monts  multicaulis ,  on  account  of 
the  superior  qualities  claimed  for  it.  A  sudden 
infatuation  seized  the  people,  speculation  began, 
and  prices  advanced  far  beyond  their  real  value. 


From  Photograph ,  Copyrighted ,  i8gj,  by  N.  S.  Co. 


Actual  Size. 


SILKWORMS  ABOUT  EIGHTEEN  DAYS  OL,D 


14  Silk  :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 

Since  1830  Florence  (Northampton),  Mass., 
had  been  identified  with  the  silk  culture  move¬ 
ment,  and  the  whole  surrounding  country  soon 
caught  the  fever,  and  as  the  excitement  increased 
acres  and  acres  of  mulberry  cuttings  and  trees 
were  planted  at  Florence,  a  stock  company  was 
formed  and  buildings  erected.  Then  in  1839 
came  the  crash.  The  bubble  had  burst,  bring¬ 
ing  ruin  to  thousands  of  persons,  and  mulberry 
twigs  which  had  been  worth  nearly  their  weight 
in  gold  could  not  be  sold  for  ten  cents  a  hun¬ 
dred.  A  severe  winter  killed  most  of  the  trees, 
giving  the  industry  a  final  blow  from  which  it 
never  recovered. 

However,  some  who  had  been  silk  growers 
turned  their  attention  wholly  to  manufacturing, 
importing  the  raw  silk.  The  company  at  Flor¬ 
ence  gave  up  silk  growing  for  a  time,  but  con¬ 
tinued  the  manufacture  of  Corticelli  silk,  which 
had  been  started  as  far  back  as  1838,  and  the 
Nonotuck  Silk  Company  became  known  the 
world  over  as  the  sole  manufacturers  of  this 
celebrated  silk. 


The  Silkworm. 


The  wonderful  insect  that  makes  the  silk  is 
the  larva  of  a  small  moth  called  Sericaria  mori. 
This  moth  is  classed  with  the  Lepidoptera ,  or 
scaly  winged  insects,  family  Bombycidce ,  or  spin¬ 
ners.  This  species  of  caterpillar  is  commonly 
called  the  Mulberry  Silkworm.  First  reared  in 
China,  it  is  now  extensively  cultivated  in  China, 
Japan,  Italy,  France,  Spain,  and  other  European 
countries.  Owing  to  the  greater  value  of  labor 
here,  the  United  States  cannot  compete  with 
these  countries,  and  most  of  the  raw  silk  there¬ 
fore  is  imported. 

The  silkworm  has  become  domesticated,  since, 
during  the  long  centuries  in  which  it  has  been 
cultivated,  it  has  acquired  many  useful  peculiar¬ 
ities.  Man  has  striven  to  increase  its  silk  pro¬ 
ducing  power,  and  in  this  he  has  succeeded,  for, 
by  comparing  the  present  silkworm  with  its  wild 


16  Silk  :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 

relations,  the  domestic  cocoon  is  found  to  be 
much  larger,  even  in  proportion  to  the  size  of 
the  worm  that  makes  it  or  the  moth  that  issues 
from  it.  It  has  other  peculiarities,  among  these 
being  its  peaceful  disposition  and  its  seeming 
want  of  all  desire  to  escape  if  supplied  with  food. 
The  moth’s  loss  of  the  power  of  flight  and  the 
white  color  of  the  species  are  also  the  results  of 
domestication. 

The  silk  moth  exists  in  four  states — egg,  larva, 
chrysalis,  and  adult  or  imago.  The  egg  of  the 
moth  is  nearly  round,  slightly  flattened,  and 
closely  resembles  a  turnip  seed.  When  first  laid 
it  is  yellow,  soon  turning  a  gray  or  slate  color  if 
impregnated.  It  has  a  small  spot  on  one  end 
called  the  micropyle ,  and  when  the  worm  hatches, 
which  in  our  climate  is  about  the  first  of  June, 
it  gnaws  a  hole  through  this  spot.  Black  in 
color,  scarcely  an  eighth  of  an  inch  in  length, 
covered  with  long  hair,  with  a  shiny  nose,  and 
sixteen  small  legs,  the  baby  worm  is  born,  leav¬ 
ing  the  shell  of  the  egg  white  and  transparent. 

Small  and  tender  leaves  of  the  white  mul¬ 
berry  {Morns  alba )  or  osage  orange  ( Maclura 


CORTICELRI  METHOD  OF  TRANSFERRING  THE  WORMS. 


i8  Silk  :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 

aurantiaca)  are  fed,  the  young  worm  simply 
piercing  them  and  sucking  the  sap.  Soon  the 
worm  becomes  large  enough  to  eat  the  tender 
portions  between  the  veins  of  the  leaf.  In  eating 
they  hold  the  leaves  by  the  six  forward  feet  and 
then  cut  off  semi-circular  slices  from  the  leaf’s 
edge  by  the  sharp  upper  portion  of  the  mouth. 
The  jaws  move  sidewise,  and  several  thousand 
worms  eating  make  a  noise  like  falling  rain. 

The  Corticelli  worms  are  kept  on  small  trays. 
Every  morning  an  attendant  carefully  transfers 
the  worms  on  one  tray  to  another  on  which  is  a 
clean  white  paper.  In  this  way  the  worms  are 
kept  clean.  In  foreign  countries  the  leaves  are 
placed  beside  the  worms,  or  upon  a  slatted  or 
perforated  tray  placed  above  them,  and  those 
that  crawl  off  are  retained  while  the  weak  ones 
are  removed  with  the  old  leaves.  The  worms 
breathe  through  spiracles ,  small  holes  which  look 
like  black  spots,  one  row  of  nine  down  each  side 
of  the  body.  They  have  no  eyes  but  are  quite 
sensitive  to  noise  and  if  you  rap  upon  the  table 
they  stop  eating  and  throw  their  heads  to  one 
side.  They  are  velvety,  smooth,  and  cold  to 


Front  Photograph ,  Copyrighted ,  IoQj,  by  N.  6. 


C<?. 


CORTICEU.I  WORM  EATING 


20 


Silk :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 


the  touch,  and  the  flesh  is  firm,  almost  hard. 
The  pulsation  of  the  blood  may  be  traced  on  the 
back  of  the  worm  running  towards  the  head. 

The  worm  has  four  molting  seasons,  at  each 
of  which  it  sheds  its  old  skin  for  a  new  one,  since 
in  the  very  rapid  growth  of  the  worm  the  old 
skin  cannot  keep  pace  with  the  growth  of  the 
body.  The  periods  between  these  different  molts 
are  called  “ages,”  there  being  five,  the  first 
extending  from  the  time  of  hatching  to  the  end 
of  the  first  molt,  and  the  last  from  the  end  of  the 
fourth  molt  to  the  transformation  of  the  insect 
into  a  chrysalis.  The  time  between  the  molts 
varies  with  the  species  of  worm,  but  the  follow¬ 
ing  proportion  usually  holds  true  :  the  first  period 
occupies  from  four  to  five  days,  the  second  from 
three  to  four,  the  third  about  five,  the  fourth 
nearly  six,  and  the  last  from  eight  to  ten. 

When  the  worm  molts  it  ceases  eating,  grows 
slightly  lighter  in  color,  fastens  itself  firmly  by 
the  ten  prolegs,*  and  especially  by  the  last  two, 

*  Scientists  call  the  ten  noil-articulated  and  lion-jointed 
suction  legs  under  the  sixth,  seventh,  eighth,  ninth,  and  last 
segments  of  the  body,  abdominal  prolegs ,  in  contradistinc¬ 
tion  to  the  six  articulated  true  legs  under  the  first,  second, 
and  third  segments. 


FULL  GROWN  WORM,  SHOWING  POSITION  IN  MOLTING. 


22 


Silk  :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 


to  some  object,  and  holding  np  its  head  and  the 
forepart  of  its  body  remains  in  a  torpid  state  for 
nearly  two  days.  For  a  day  or  two  previous  to 
molting  a  dark  spot  is  noticed  just  above  the 
nose  of  the  worm,  from  which  the  head  emerges 
apparently  renewed.  In  molting  the  old  skin 
breaks  at  the  nose,  the  head  is  pushed  out  and 
the  worm  by  wriggling  and  twisting  gradually 
works  the  old  skin  back  from  segment  to  seg¬ 
ment  until  entirely  cast  off.  Weak  and  feeble, 
it  gains  strength  by  resting  and  then,  freshened, 
supple,  and  hungry,  goes  to  work  eating  again 
with  renewed  vigor  and  apparently  determined 
to  make  up  for  lost  time. 

By  each  successive  molt  the  worm  grows 
lighter,  finally  becoming  a  slate  or  cream  white 
color,  and  the  hair,  which  was  long  at  first, 
gradually  disappears.  Two  days  after  the  third 
molt,  when  the  worm  is  fifteen  days  old,  it  is 
three  quarters  of  an  inch  long,  and  just  after  the 
last  molt  it  is  one  and  a  fourth  inches  long.  If 
its  growth  seemed  rapid  before  it  is  as  nothing 
compared  to  its  growth  now.  In  six  days  it 
grows  from  one  and  a  fourth  to  two  inches  in 


From  Photograph,  Copyrighted,  idgj,  by  N.  S.  Co. 


“BAGGING”  CORTICEEEI  WORMS, 
SHOWING  ONE  SUSPENDED  BY  ITS  SIEK. 


24 


Silk :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 


length,  and  in  three  days  more  becomes  fully 
three  inches  in  length.  It  is  an  interesting  fact 
that  nearly  or  quite  three  fourths  of  the  silk  the 
worm  spins  is  made  or  secreted  in  these  last  two 
or  three  days.  However,  at  all  ages  and  times 
the  worm  secretes  silk  with  which  to  protect 
itself  from  injury,  for  when  in  danger  of  falling 
it  instantly  fastens  a  silken  thread  to  whatever 
it  may  be  standing  upon.  In  case  of  accident, 
the  worm  uses  this  thread,  which  is  strong  enough 
to  sustain  its  weight,  as  a  ladder  to  go  either 
up  or  down.  In  ascending  the  thread  is  wound 
around  its  forelegs  to  shorten  it.  When  the 
worm  is  young  the  thread  is  so  fine  as  to  be 
almost  invisible,  yet  it  is  always  strong  enough 
to  sustain  the  worm. 

Having  attained  full  growth,  the  worm  is  ready 
to  spin  its  cocoon.  It  loses  its  appetite,  shrinks 
nearly  an  inch  in  length,  grows  nearly  transpar¬ 
ent,  often  acquiring  a  pinkish  hue,  becomes  rest¬ 
less,  moves  its  head  from  side  to  side,  and  throws 
out  a  silken  thread.  The  silk  is  elaborated  in  a 
semi-fluid  condition  in  two  long  convoluted  ves¬ 
sels  or  glands  between  the  prolegs  and  head,  one 


Front  Photograph ,  Copyrighted ,  i&Qj ,  by  N.  S.  Co. 

I.  SILK  GLANDS  REMOVED  FROM  WORM. 

2.  CORTICELLI  SILK  SNELLS,  MADE  FROM  SILK  GLANDS. 


26  Silk :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 

upon  each  side  of  the  alimentary  canal.  As  these 
vessels  approach  the  head  they  grow  more  slen¬ 
der,  and  finally  unite  within  the  spinneret,  a 
small  orifice  below  the  month  from  which  the 
silk  issues  in  a  glutinous  state  and  apparently  in 
a  single  thread.  The  gummy  licpiid  which  com¬ 
bines  the  two  strands  hardens  immediately  on 
exposure  to  the  air.* 

The  worm  seeks  a  quiet  place  or  corner,  and 
throwing  out  guy  lines  in  several  directions 
finally  suspends  itself  among  them  and  forms  its 
cocoon.  Paper  tubes  an  inch  in  diameter,  in 
which  the  Corticelli  worms  are  placed,  prevent 
the  silk  from  becoming  soiled.  Dropping  them 
into  these  tubes  is  familiarly  called  “bagging” 
the  worms.  In  foreign  countries  twigs  or  bun¬ 
dles  of  loose  straw  take  the  place  of  these  tubes. 

*The  silk  secretion,  on  account  of  its  transparency,  is 
sometimes  used  for  snells,  the  tough  sinew-like  cords  by 
which  fishhooks  are  attached  to  longer  lines,  and  in  foreign 
countries  large  numbers  of  worms  are  annually  used  for  this 
purpose.  When  the  worm  is  ready  to  spin,  the  silk  glands 
are  taken  from  its  body  and  after  being  steeped  in  strong 
chemicals  are  dexterously  drawn  out  to  the  desired  length.  It 
requires  a  skilled  workman  to  make  a  smooth,  transparent, 
and  even  snell.  One  silk  gland  is  usually  sufficient  for  two 
and  sometimes  for  three  fishhooks. 


The  Silkworm. 


27 


The  worm  works  incessantly,  forcing  the  silk 
out  by  the  contraction  of  its  body.  The  thin 


From  Photograph,  Copyrighted ,  tSgj,  by  N.  S.  Co.  Actual  Size. 

WORM  PREPARING  TO  FORM  ITS  COCOON. 

gauze-like  network  which  soon  surrounds  it 
gradually  thickens  until  in  twenty-four  hours 


28 


Silk  :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 


after  beginning  to  spin  the  worm  is  nearly  bidden 
from  view.  However,  the  cocoon  is  not  com¬ 
pleted  for  about  three  days.  Instinct  teaches  the 
worm  to  cease  spinning  with  head  np,  so  that  the 
moth  in  emerging  can  crawl  out  of  the  paper  tubes. 

The  silk  spun  by  the  worm  in  first  getting  its 
bearings  is  loose  and  is  known  as  “floss.”  The 
cocoon  is  tough,  strong,  and  compact,  composed 
of  a  firm,  continuous  thread,  which  is,  however, 
not  wound  in  concentric  circles  but  irregularly 
in  short  figure  eight  loops,  first  in  one  place  and 
then  in  another.  The  motion  of  the  worm’s 
head  when  starting  the  cocoon  is  very  rapid,  and 
nine  to  twelve  inches  of  silk  flow  from  the  spin¬ 
neret  in  a  minute,  but  later  the  average  would 
be  about  half  this  amount  per  minute.  From 
three  to  four  hundred  cocoons  weigh  one  pound. 

The  color  of  the  worm’s  prolegs  before  spin¬ 
ning  indicates  the  color  the  cocoon  will  be.  This 
varies  in  different  species  and  may  be  a  silvery 
white,  cream,  yellow,  lemon,  or  green. 

When  the  worm  has  finished  spinning  it  is  one 
and  a  quarter  inches  long.  Two  days  later  by  a 
final  molt  its  dried-up  skin  breaks  at  the  nose 


From  Photograph ,  Copyrighted ,  i8gy,  by  N.  S.  Co.  Actual  Size. 


30 


Silk :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 


and  is  crowded  back  off  the  body,  revealing 
the  chrysalis,  an  oval  cone  one  inch  in  length. 
It  is  a  light  yellow  in  color,  and  immediately 
after  molting  is  soft  to  the  touch.  The  ten  pro¬ 
legs  of  the  worm  have  disappeared,  the  four 
wings  of  the  future  moth  are  folded  over  the 
breast,  together  with  the  six  legs  and  two  feelers, 
or  antennae.  It  soon  turns  brown  and  the  skin 
hardens  into  a  tough  shell.  Nature  provides  the 
cocoon  to  protect  the  worm  from  the  elements 
while  it  is  being  transformed  into  a  chrysalis, 
and  thence  into  the  moth. 

With  no  jaws,  and  confined  within  the  narrow 
space  of  the  cocoon,  the  moth  has  some  difficulty 
in  escaping.  After  two  or  three  weeks  the  shell 
of  the  chrysalis  bursts  and  the  moth  ejects  against 
the  end  of  the  cocoon  a  strongly  alkaline  liquid 
which  moistens  and  dissolves  the  hard  gummy 
lining.  Pushing  aside  some  of  the  silken  threads 
and  breaking  others,  with  crimped  and  damp 
wings  the  moth  emerges  ;  and  the  exit  once 
effected  the  wings  soon  expand  and  dry. 

The  escape  of  the  moth,  however,  breaks  so 
many  threads  that  the  cocoons  are  ruined  for 


From  Photograph. ,  Copyrighted ,  /&9.5>  by  N.  S.  Co.  Actual  Size. 


MOTHS. 

TOP  VIEW  SHOWS  THEM  EMERGING  FROM  COCOONS. 


32 


Silk  :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 


reeling,  and  consequently,  when  ten  days  old,  all 
those  not  intended  for  seed  are  placed  in  a  steam 
heater  to  stifle  the  chrysalis,  and  the  silk  may 
then  be  reeled  at  any  future  time. 

The  moths  are  cream  white  in  color.  They 
have  no  mouths,  but  do  have  eyes,  which  is  just 
the  reverse  of  the  case  of  the  worm.  From  the 
time  it  begins  to  spin  until  the  moth  dies,  the 
insect  takes  no  nourishment.  The  six  forward 
legs  of  the  worm  become  the  legs  of  the  moth. 
Soon  after  mating  the  eggs  are  laid  and  in  about 
eight  days  the  moths  die. 

The  male  has  broader  feelers  than  the  female, 
is  smaller  in  size  and  quite  active.  The  female 
lays  half  her  eggs,  rests  a  few  hours,  and  then 
lays  the  remainder.  Her  two  or  three  days’  life 
is  spent  within  a  space  occupying  less  than  six 
inches  in  diameter. 

One  moth  lays  from  three  to  four  hundred 
eggs,  depositing  them  over  an  even  surface.  In 
some  species  a  gummy  liquid  sticks  the  eggs  to 
the  object  upon  which  they  are  laid.  In  the 
large  cocoon  varieties  there  are  fully  thirty  thou¬ 
sand  eggs  in  a  single  ounce  avoirdupois. 


AFTER  THE  MOTHS  HAVE  ESCAPED,  SHOWING  THE  PIERCED  COCOONS. 


From  Photograph ,  Copyrighted ,  I&Q5,  by  N.  S.  Co. 


Actual  Size. 


COMPLETED  COCOON,  SHOWING  “FEOSS.” 


Reeling  the  Silk 
from  the  Cocoons. 


Reeling  the  silk  from  the  cocoons  is  not  often 
done  in  the  United  States  and  the  Corticelli 
method  differs  slightly  from  that  practiced  in  for¬ 
eign  countries.  Most  of  the  raw  material  which 
is  imported  comes  already  reeled  ready  for  the 
manufacturer.  We  give  both  the  French  and 
Italian  methods  below. 

The  cocoons  are  first  assorted,  those  of  the 
same  color  being  placed  by  themselves  and  those 
of  fine  and  coarse  texture  likewise.  The  “floss” 
or  outside  loose  silk  is  then  removed  as  this 
cannot  be  reeled,  after  which  the  cocoons  are 
plunged  into  warm  water  to  soften  the  “gum” 
which  sticks  the  threads  together.  The  operator 
brushes  the  cocoons  with  a  small  broom,  to  the 
straws  of  which  their  fibers  become  attached,  and 
then  carefully  unwinds  the  loose  silk  until  each 


36  Silk  :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 

cocoon  shows  but  one  thread.  These  three  oper¬ 
ations  are  called  “soaking,”  “brushing,”  and 
“cleansing.” 

The  following  is  the  French  or  “Chambon” 
system.  Into  each  of  two  compartments  in  the 
basin  of  warm  water  below  the  reel  are  placed 
four  or  more  cocoons,  according  to  the  size  of 
the  thread  desired.  The  threads  from  the 
cocoons  in  each  are  gathered  together  and,  after 
passing  through  two  separate  perforated  agates  a 
few  inches  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  are 
brought  together  and  twisted  around  each  other 
several  times,  then  separated  and  passed  upward 
over  the  traverse  guide-eyes  to  the  reel.  The 
traverse  moves  to  and  fro  horizontally,  distribut¬ 
ing  the  thread  in  a  broad  band  over  the  surface 
of  the  reel.  The  rapid  crossing  of  the  thread 
from  side  to  side  of  the  skein  in  reeling  facili¬ 
tates  handling  and  unwinding  without  tangling, 
the  natural  gum  of  the  silk  sticking  the  threads 
to  each  other  on  the  arms  of  the  reel,  thus  secur¬ 
ing  the  traverse.  Twisting  the  threads  around 
each  other  in  going  from  agates  to  reel  is  called  a 
“croisure.  ”  This  operation  consolidates  the 


From  Photograph,  Copyrighted,  1895,  by  N.  S.  Co. 


PREPARING  THE  COCOONS  FOR  REELING. — FINDING 
THE  THREADS. 


38  Silk :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 

threads,  wringing  the  water  therefrom  and  mak¬ 
ing  them  perfectly  round. 

The  only  difference  between  the  French  and 
Italian  methods  is  the  formation  of  this  “crois- 
ure.”  In  the  Italian  or  “ travel ette  ”  system  the 
thread  is  passed  np  over  a  small  pulley,  down 
over  another,  then  twisted  around  itself  and 
thence  through  the  guide-eye  in  the  traverse  to 
the  reel. 

The  fiber  of  the  cocoon  is  somewhat  finer  in 
the  floss  or  beginning,  thickens  at  the  point  of 
forming  the  more  compact  part,  and  then  very 
gradually  diminishes  in  diameter  until  it  becomes 
so  fine  as  to  be  incapable  of  standing  the  strain 
of  reeling.  This  is  because  the  silk  from  one  of 
the  worm’s  glands  is  exhausted,  leaving  but  one 
half  the  original  fiber. 

When  one  of  the  threads  breaks  or  the  end  of 
one  cocoon  is  reached,  the  reeler  takes  a  fresh 
one,  and  with  thumb  and  forefinger  dexterously 
twists  its  end  around  the  running  thread,  of  which 
from  that  moment  it  becomes  a  constituent  part. 

Silk  growers  in  the  United  States,  by  working 
early  and  late  every  day  during  the  season,  which 


From  Photograph,  Copyrighted,  l8qy,  by  N.  S.  Co. 


THE  CORTICEELI  REEL. 


40 


Silk  :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 


lasts  from  six  to  eight  weeks,  could  scarcely 
average  twenty-five  cents  a  day  for  their  labor. 

Imported  raw  silk  comes  in  skeins  of  from  one 
to  several  ounces,  packed  into  bundles  called 
“books,”  weighing  from  five  to  ten  pounds.  In 
China  and  Japan  the  books  are  usually  sold  in 
bales  varying  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred 
and  sixty  pounds.  It  takes  from  twenty-two 
hundred  and  fifty  to  three  thousand  cocoons  to 
make  a  pound  of  reeled  silk.  Do  you  wonder 
that,  centuries  ago,  silk  was  valued  at  its  weight 
in  gold? 


How  Silk  is  Manufactured. 


A  Word  About  Ourselves. 

The  Nonotuck  Silk  Company  is  the  oldest 
and  most  widely  known  silk  manufacturing 
establishment  in  the  United  States,  and  hence, 
a  brief  chapter  describing  the  making  of  the 
Corticelli  silks  will  have  special  interest.  Their 
extensive  mills  are  situated  at  Florence,  Leeds, 
Haydenville,  Mass.,  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  St. 
Johns,  P.  Q. 

The  raw  silk  is  first  assorted  according  to  the 
size  of  the  fiber,  and  is  then  soaked  in  warm 
water  for  several  hours  to  soften  the  gum  where 
the  threads  had  stuck  together  on  the  arms  of 
the  reel.  The  skeins  are  put  upon  swifts  and 
the  thread  wound  off  on  to  bobbins.  Doubling 
is  the  next  process.  A  number  of  fibers,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  size  of  the  thread  desired,  are  brought 
together  preparatory  to  spinning.  Should  one 


42 


Silk  :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 


fiber  break,  an  automatic  device  stops  the  bobbin 
until  the  broken  parts  are  spliced. 

The  spinning  process  spins  the  several  threads 
into  one  strand,  the  number  of  turns  varying 
with  the  kind  of  silk  ;  floss  or  filo  being  cpiite 
slack  and  machine  twist  just  the  reverse.  A 
transferring  machine  combines  two  or  three  of 
these  strands,  two  for  sewing  and  three  for 
machine  twist,  and  another  machine  twists  the 
strands  in  the  opposite  direction  from  the  spin¬ 
ning.  The  silk  is  stretched  by  an  ingenious 
machine,  smoothing  and  consolidating  the  con¬ 
stituent  fibers  ;  it  is  then  reeled  into  hanks  ready 
for  dyeing. 

This  process  is  a  very  important  one  and  upon 
its  success  depends  the  permanency  of  the  various 
colors.  The  Nonotuck  Silk  Company  has  an 
enviable  reputation  for  the  superior  quality  and 
finish  of  the  Corticelli  silk,  and  its  original 
method  of  dyeing  silks  in  fast  wash  colors,  the 
result  of  years  of  scientific  investigation  and 
experimenting,  has  been  an  important  factor  in 
making  this  reputation. 

In  boiling  out  the  “gum”  previous  to  dyeing 


HOW  THE  CORTICELLI  WORMS  ARE  REARED. 


44 


Silk :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 


the  silk  shrinks  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  per 
cent,  in  weight.  After  dyeing  it  is  again  wound 
on  bobbins  to  be  polished  and  finished  and  then 
spooled  or  reeled  into  small  skeins,  according  to 
the  kind  of  silk.  The  spooling  machines  are 
partly  automatic  and  the  operator  winds  the  silk 
upon  the  spools  with  surprising  accuracy,  meas¬ 
uring  off  correctly  the  desired  length. 

Many  of  the  machines  used  by  this  company 
are  of  their  own  invention,  patented  and  con¬ 
trolled  by  them,  which  together  with  the  expe¬ 
rience  of  fifty-seven  years  in  silk  manufacturing 
enables  them  to  produce  silk  goods  of  unequaled 
quality  and  of  exceptional  luster  and  brilliancy. 

All  the  silk  manufactured  by  them  is  dyed 
and  finished  at  Florence,  which  accounts  for  the 
remarkable  uniformity  in  color,  and  evenness  of 
thread,  characteristic  of  the  Corticelli  silks. 

Besides  a  full  line  of  Corticelli  sewing,  knit¬ 
ting,  crochet,  embroidery,  etching,  rope,  filo,  floss, 
and  lace  wash  silks,  this  company  makes  hosiery, 
mittens,  and  underwear  knit  from  pure  silk,  and 
has  recently  met  a  growing  demand  for  fine 
silk  bindings  and  worsted  dress  braids,  the  latter 


BUNDLE  OF  STRAW  IN  WHICH  WORMS  HAVE  SPUN, 


46  Silk :  Its  Origin  and  Culture. 

being  dyed  in  colors  to  match  the  Corticelli 
silks. 

Fourteen  gold  medals,  besides  a  large  number 
of  silver  and  bronze  ones,  have  been  awarded 
this  company  for  the  superiority  of  the  Corticelli 
silks.  At  the  recent  California  International 
Exposition  held  at  San  Francisco,  the  company 
was  honored  with  the  highest  award,  a  gold 
medal,  and  a  “Special  Diploma  of  Honor,”  a 
distinction  granted  only  to  exhibits  of  excep¬ 
tional  merit. 


For  Your  Convenience 

In  ordering,  for  twelve  cents  in  stamps  we  will  mail  you 
one  of  our  Color  Cards,  showing  over  200  different  shades 
of  the  Corticelli  Wash  Silks,  with  samples  of  the  different 
kinds  of  silk,  showing  relative  size  and  twist. 


With  this  card  you  can  order  from  your  dealer  just  the 
shade  silk  desired.  By  its  use  trouble  and  patience  are 
saved — that  means  money. 

Address 

Nonotuck  Silk  Company, 

Florence,  Mass. 


45  Bridge  Street, 


47 


Our  flethod 

of  manufacturing  braid  is  a  great  improve¬ 
ment  over  the  old  way.  This  accounts  for 

The  Perfectly  Straight  Selvage, 

The  Firm  and  Even  Texture,  and 
The  Peculiar  Wearing  Qualities 

of  our  worsted  bindings 


Corticelli  61  Dress  Braid 

and 

Corticelli  Skirt  Protector 

(wider  and  heavier  than  the  “61”). 

When  Soiled  :  A  sponge  or  brush  makes  it  clean  again,  and 
no  damage  done. 

Easily  Applied  :  Stitch  on  flat  or  turn  over  an  edge,  as 
desired. 

Colors  to  Match  Our  Silks. 

If  your  dealer  doesn’t  keep  it,  send  us  15  cents  for  sample  5  yard  bolt 
Skirt  Protector. 


48 


The  list  of 


PRIZES 


taken  by  the 


“  First  Prize — 100  Points 

AWARDED  TO 

Nonotuck  Silk  Company, 
Florence,  Mass.” 


Corticelli  Silks 


Includes  First  Awards 
from  all  the  important 
National  and  International 
Expositions  since  1838. 

Besides  numerous 

Bronze  and 
Silver  Medals , 

we  have  received 

14  Gold  Medals. 


NONOTUCK  SIEK  COMPANY, 

( Established  1838) 

45  Bridge  Street,  -  Florence ,  Mass. 


Salesrooms  : 


72  Greene  St.,  New  York. 
200  Market  St.,  Chicago. 
137  W.  3d  St.,  Cincinnati. 
812  Arch  St.,  Philadelphia. 
307  Jackson  St.,  St.  Paul. 


18  Summer  St.,  Boston. 

703  Locust  St.,  St.  Louis. 

535  Market  St.,  San  Francisco. 
q  N.  Main  St.,  Gloversville,  N.  Y. 
Montreal. 


49 


Established  Over  Half  a  Century. 


Corticelli 


Sewing  Silk  and  Twist 


HAS 

STOOD 

THE 

TEST 

OF 

YEARS. 


Uniform  in  strength,  length,  size,  and 

twist. 

Unequaled  for  brilliancy  °f  color  and  beauty 
~  of  finish. 


A  silk  made  especially  for  dressmakers  and  all  others 
who  require  a  superior  thread  for  their  best  work. 


NONOTUCK  SILK  COMPANY, 

45  Bridge  Street,  -  -  Florence,  Mass. 

5° 


Corticelli _ _ 

sM//-  Roman  Floss  and 


It’s  been  a  question  with  some  to  know  how  we  obtain 
the  very  high  luster  that  characterizes  the  Corticelli  Roman 
Floss  and  Rope  Silks. 

But  the  gloss  is  there  ;  you  can’t  help  but  notice  it 
when  comparing  the  Corticelli  with  other  brands. 

“  Rope  ” — a  very  coarse  silk  for  bold  designs  on  heavy 

material. 

“Roman.  Floss” — slack  twisted,  coarser  than  filo,  for 

quick  work  on  large  designs. 


See  that  “Corticelli”  is  on  the  label  of  each  skein — 
then  you’ll  know  the  silk  will  wash. 


5i 


‘  ‘  Corticelli  ’  ’ 


Filo  Floss , 

F  F  Fmbroidery, 
and  Outline 


Wash 

Silks. 


Colors  Warranted  to  Stand  Washing. 


Used  and  Recommended  by  the  Leading  Teachers  of 
Art  Embroidery. 


Filo  Floss :  Designed  for  light  or  medium  heavy  em¬ 
broidery  where  the  shading  is  fine  and  delicate. 
Slack  twisted. 

F  F  Fmbroidery :  Extensively  used  for  general  em¬ 
broidery. 

Outline  or  Ftching  :  Firmly  twisted,  for  outline  work 
and  feather  stitching  ;  also  for  striking  effects  in 
connection  with  silk  threads  of  other  sizes  and 
kinds.  This  is  the  silk  to  use  with  Houiton  Face. 


See  that  “Corticelli”  is  on  the  label  of  each  skein — 
then  you’ll  know  the  silk  will  wash. 


52 


How  to  Obtain  Corticelli  Silk , 


Probably  your  dealer  sells  the  Corticelli  Silks  and  will 
order  the  particular  shades  or  kinds  of  silk  you  want  which 
he  has  not  in  stock. 

If  he  does  not  keep  our  silk  give  him  the  address  of  our 
nearest  wholesale  office  (see  page  49),  and  ask  him  to  get 
it  for  you.  If  he  will  not,  or  tries  to  make  you  take  some 
other  brand,  claiming  that  it  is  “just  as  good,’’  wTrite  direct 
to  us  at  Florence,  Mass.,  tell  us  just  wdiat  you  want,  enclose 
enough  money  to  cover  the  amount  of  your  order  as  per 
prices  below,  and  we  will  see  that  it  is  promptly  filled 
through  some  reliable  merchant  in  our  city. 

The  safest  way  to  send  money  is  by  P.  O.  money  order  or 
registered  letter.  An  exact  match  cannot  always  be  had  ;  if 
you  cannot  give  the  trade  numbers  send  pieces  of  cloth  or 
ribbon  of  the  colors  you  desire.  One  of  our  color  cards  (see 
page  47)  will  be  a  great  help  to  you  in  ordering. 

Price  List. 

“  Corticelli  ”  Sewing  Silk,  100  yds.,  A.  10  cents  per  spool. 

“Corticelli”  Button-hole  Twist,  10  yds.,  D.  3  cents  per  spool. 

“  Corticelli  ”  Filo  Silk  Floss,  wash  silk,  5  cents  per  skein,  50  cents  per  dozen. 

“  Corticelli”  Outline  or  Etching  Wash  Silk,  5  cents  per  skein,  50  cents  per  dozen. 
“  Corticelli”  E  E  Embroidery  Wash  Silk,  5  cents  per  skein,  50  cents  per  dozen. 
“  Corticelli  ”  Roman  Floss  Wash  Silk,  5  cents  per  skein,  50  cents  per  dozen. 

“  Corticelli  ”  Rope  Wash  Silk,  5  cents  per  skein,  50  cents  per  dozen. 

“  Corticelli  ”  Crochet  and  Knitting  Silk,  oz.  balls,  38  cents  per  ball. 

“  Corticelli  ”  Whip  Cord  Crochet,  25  yd.  balls,  11  cents  per  ball. 

“  Corticelli  ”  Skirt  Protector,  No.  106,  4  yd.  bolt,  12  cents ;  5  yd.  bolt,  15  cents. 
“  Florence  ”  Silk  Mittens,  ladies’  sizes,  $1.75  ;  men’s  sizes,  $2.00. 

Waste  Embroidery  Silk,  consisting  of  remnants  of  coarse  silk  in  a  variety  of 
colors  from  light  to  dark,  but  mostly  bright,  suitable  for  crazy  patchwork  and 
other  fancy  work,  40  cents  per  ounce.  One  ounce  is  equal  to  100  skeins. 


Nonotuck  Silk  Company , 

45  Bridge  Street,  -  -  Florence,  Mass. 


S3 


The  Latest  and  Best 


Book  of  Instruction 

is  our  iSijj  Edition  of 


“Florence 


Home  Needlework. 


)> 


Valuable  Alike  to  Novice 
or  Experienced  Worker. 


Contents. 

Lace  Embroidery,  Honiton  Braid  and  Lace,  Crocheting, 
How  to  Make  a  “College  Pillow,”  besides  an  elaborate  and 
accurate  chart  giving  the  Correct  Colors  for  Embroidering 
Flowers,  Leaves,  and  Fruits. 


By  mail  for  six  cents  in  stamps.  In  ordering  mention 
edition  by  year. 


Nonotuck  Silk  Company , 

45  Bridge  Street ,  -  -  Florence,  Mass. 


54 


From  Photograph,  Copyrighted,  rSgj,  by  N.  S,  Co. 


That’s  Pretty  Enough  to  Keep  ! 


I  only  wish  it  was  mine.  But  mamma  thinks 
too  much  of  it  to  give  it  to  me.  She  calls  it 
“ Corticelli.”  A  funny  name,  isn’t  it?  She  says 
the  Corticelli  Embroidery  Wash  Silks  are  so  strong 
and  firm  and  even  and  are  finished  so  nicely. 
Besides,  she  says  the  colors  “won’t  run”  if  you’re 
careful  in  washing.  She  ought  to  know,  ’cause  she 
makes  lots  of  pretty  embroidery  things. 


GETTY  CENTER  LIBRARY  CONS 

TS  1650  S58  1895  81(5 

c  i  Nonotuck  Silk  Compan 

Silk  ;  its  origin  and  culture. 


3  3125  00178  0531 


